Recently all of the regular employees at the fast food joints and gas stations around here left and were replaced by ones who speak and understand english.

A quiet INS crackdown forcing businesses to fire illegals would easily explain the number increase, and if credit for that can be laid at Obama's feet, I thank him. WIsh he had pushed this earlier, but... Good job!

babygoat:On what planet is that not the most attractive option? I understand that it pisses you off but that doesn't factor into the decision at all. How about a realistic solution instead of calling them "illegals"?

Ok, realistic solution. Work that hard to fix their own country, follow the established laws for immigration, and perhaps even show us American's how things are done by opening their borders the way they expect us to?

How about that? And finally lets stop pretending that these criminals are not breaking the law.

Mager:"James Pethokoukis is a columnist and blogger at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C"

American Enterprise Institute

Man people don't even understand what an editorial is anymore.

I think it's funny how people on the right think that articles are written by a newspaper or magazine or whatever and not by an author. i think the reason is that they aren't familiar with news sites that offer a variety of different opinions from authors who are free to write their own opinions.

They are accustomed to right wing sites that ate all spin all the time, so when a real news magazine publishes a right wing opinion piece they think it is the paper itself endorsing or "admitting" that the columnist is right.

I think "dream job" is a rare thing. For most people, jobs are something you do and get moderately good at so you can have some pride in it.

If I were going to reform jobs, I'd make participation shorter, and make more responsibility fall on each worker, as well as requiring skills for just about anything. The emphasis should be less on "being there" and more on showing up, working efficiently, and then going home to have a life.

In particular, we should stop jobs which treat people as interchangeable parts and reward participation more than results, so that if you stay 10-12 hours instead of 8 you get promoted, even if you did nothing important.

Treat people like people instead of zombie slaves and you get better results.

I agree that the unemployment numbers are skewed by the change made in 1994 that decided if you were discouraged for more than 12 months you were no longer part of the unemployed. The U-6 number is a far more accurate reflection of the total employment picture. That said, biatching about a measure that's been used for eighteen years because you don't like what it says in the month before the election is Grade A 100% bullshiat. Does anyone think these same people will be complaining about the inaccuracy of the unemployment number after January if Romney wins?

Most of the stories I've read have been about people who have jobs- just not the ones they like or pay much. But isn't that still a job? I've never had a dream job making a ton of money- and that's my fault, not the gov't. If I had moved to another city, I could have. If you can't get your dream job, join the 95% of the world.